State report card shows student growth in Minerva Local Schools

By Mallory EvansThe Review Published: February 28, 2013 3:00 AM

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The Ohio Department of Education released the official 2011-2012 report card results on Wednesday. Typically, final report cards are issued in August, but the 2011-2012 cards were delayed nearly seven months by a state auditor investigation.

In addition to the well-known designations of Excellent with Distinction, Excellent, Effective, Continuous Improvement, Academic Watch and Academic Emergency, the report cards include more detailed data about student growth in each district. For Minerva Local, the 2011-2012 report card demonstrated significant amounts of value-added growth. The district ranked 11th out of 832 public and community schools for growth.

Superintendent Joe Chaddock was pleased to see the data on Wednesday. "We grew our kids more in one year than 99 percent of the state did," he said. "It's pretty special to know that we're seeing this growth. It gives our staff confidence in what they're doing."

Value-added growth is a measurement that assesses student progress from year to year. Each student should achieve an average of one year of growth from the first day of school to the end of the year. For example, a third grade student should learn and develop over the year to the point that he or she is ready for the fourth grade. In districts with high value-added growth scores, that third-grader may be reading at the fifth-grade level by the time he or she graduates to the next grade.

"It takes a clear focus on student achievement taken all the way down to the individual students," Chaddock said. The superintendent said the district's vision is to see continued growth in its students, 100 percent graduation rates and college or career readiness.

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Chaddock said that overall, Stark County is a high-performing district when it comes to education. Jackson Local Schools was the only Stark County district to rank higher than Minerva for value-added growth. Jackson Local ranked fourth in the state, with a value-added gain index of 12.2.

Chaddock said this growth is exciting for a small district like Minerva, where more than 50 percent of students are enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program. "We're a district with really high poverty and we're growing students higher than these other schools," he said.

This high level of growth in a high-poverty situation coupled with the district's performance in the subjects of math and reading earned Minerva another accolade from the state of Ohio -- the School of Promise designation.

High school Principal Mike Riley said the School of Promise designation is especially meaningful feedback from the state. Out of more than 3,500 school buildings statewide, only 163 received the School of Promise award.

In a letter to Riley, acting state Superintendent Michael Sawyers said, "Strategies by you and your staff to close the mathematics and reading achievement gap for students who represent a range of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds are working, and we hope you will share them with other Ohio schools."

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This is Minerva High School's second consecutive year for this award. Riley said this indicates significant change as a school. "We got it last year, but you never know if it's a flash in the pan or an indicator of more meaningful change," he said.

Riley attributed the high school's continued improvement to the hard work of the students, staff and parents in the district. He said high school teachers are dedicated to increasing the rigor of their curriculum while making sure no students are left in the dust. "They just pour themselves out to make sure every student is passing," he said.

The culture of the high school is also a factor in its continued improvement. Riley said there has been a serious effort to reduce hopelessness by encouraging students that they have purpose and helping them discover a clear vision for the future. This is done in part through mentor relationships between upperclassmen and freshmen students.

This growth helped Minerva receive a rating of Excellent with Distinction for the 2011-2012 school year. Other area schools with this high rating include Marlington Local and West Branch Local.

A statement from the Ohio Department of Education said the state's public schools are making steady academic gains as a new era of accountability approaches. Beginning with the 2012-13 school year, Ohio will replace its current report cards with an A-F letter grade system. The new system is described in greater detail online at newreportcard.education.ohio.gov.